CHENGDU, March 26 (Xinhua) -- One of China's new generation of short-haul passenger aircraft, the MA600, was put into use Saturday at a civil aviation training base in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The "Modern Ark" 600 was delivered in December last year to the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC) by its manufacturer, the Xi'an Aircraft International Corporation (XAIC), which is based in northwestern China's Shaanxi Province.

CAFUC ordered two MA600 aircraft at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which was held in the city of Zhuhai in Guangdong Province in November 2010.

The MA600 is an upgraded version of the company's MA60 passenger aircraft and can carry 50 to 60 passengers. The aircraft has been updated with a more comfortable cabin and other design improvements.

"The MA600 also features better performance in regards to safety and fuel efficiency," said Wang Kaiyin, an official with the CAFUC. The turboprop aircraft has a range of 2,450 km.

The introduction of the aircraft also marks the retirement of the Y-7-100, the first generation of transport aircraft designed and built in China, said Wang.

The MA600 came off assembly lines in June 2008 and made its maiden flight in October that year.

XAIC has received 16 orders for the aircraft so far and the company is continuing to develop another new model, the MA700.